


Nothing Is Good About Being Sick (Except for maybe one thing)

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Ficlet, Fluff, I needed to write this, I promise, M/M, No Angst, Sickfic, rated t because rin has a potty mouth, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2014-08-28
Packaged: 2018-02-15 03:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2213472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin is sick, so someone needs to take care of him.</p><p>i am so shit at writing summaries. It's a RinHaru fluffy sickfic, ok? And rin has a potty mouth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Is Good About Being Sick (Except for maybe one thing)

This was the fucking worst.

Headaches, chills, overwhelming nausea, sky-high fever, the works. Rin had it all. And he fucking hated it.

FUCKING SHIT, Rin swore mentally as another wave of nausea overcame him. He leaned over the bed to stare in the bucket, but nothing came up but a bit of bile, which he swallowed tenderly. Rin cautiously lowered his head back down on the pillow and pushed his hand down on his throbbing forehead. Even with all the lights off, he felt everything was hurting him more than strictly necessary.

Bad move. The heat from his head reflected from his hand made him feel even fucking worse than before. Rin groaned and curled up on his side. He didn't need to feel more fucking sick than he was already.

He supposed it was probably his own fault he got sick. One of the Samezuka swim team's first years had a bug and someone needed to deliver him the new training regimen and what he'd missed and shit at practice. Being the captain, Rin figured it was his responsibility to give it to him, and he supposed somehow he'd contracted it by opening his door or touching his stuff or some dumb shit like that.

Another wave of nausea hit him and he repeated the same routine as before. Nothing. Rin glanced at the clock on the wall, and was disappointed to see practice had already started. Even though he knew he couldn't make it, some part of him hoped, really hoped, he would be able to go. Rin sank down in his bunk and hoped Sousuke, as replacement captain for the day, wasn't being too hard on the team. He grimaced as he imagined Sousuke giving harsh (but admittedly almost always correct) advice to Nitori and the other weaker swimmers. I hope Momo's improved his time, Rin thought, hoping he'd followed his advice to not waste so much energy on the-

“Rin?” A quiet voice came through the door, and through Rin's fever-induced haze, he couldn't quite place it. Sounds nice though...

“Must be sleeping...” the voice intoned, even quieter than before. Rin quickly lay down and pretended to sleep as he heard the sound of the door opening and shutting softly. 

Rin closed his eyes and tried to figure the noises as best he could. The person didn't speak again, but he heard lots of rustling and sounds of something (a bag? Pants?) being zipped, though he didn't know what direction. And- what? Scraping? What was going on?

“Rin?” The voice was still soft, but it was closer, so Rin could hear it much better. It was.. Haru? What? Haru was here? At Samezuka? How did he even know about Rin? He couldn't recall contacting Haru for a few days, even though he'd certainly considered sending a text or two out of boredom and (maybe, just maybe) the desire to just talk to Haru. He always used what he assumed was his best judgment, and never sent one. 

“Rin, wake up.”

Haru was more insistent this time, and Rin could feel his breath against his face, as Haru got close to his ear. Really close. Rin could feel strands of his hair brush against his cheek, and he felt himself go red. Maybe due to sickness, maybe due to other reasons.

“Ah...” Haru gasped a little, and Rin heard him get up from his bed, felt the bed bounce up a little, and walk over to his... desk?

Rin waited for what felt like forever, until Haru came back.

“Rin, you need to wake up.” 

Rin felt Haru's voice become a little worried. He was just about to turn over and fake waking up, when-

Hands.

Rin felt hands on his side, tender but strong at the same time, pulling him over to his back. Rin froze up a little and Haru stopped immediately, with another little one of his gasps.

“Sorry, Rin, I didn't know it hurt.”

Rin was now on his back, and it was harder to pretend he was asleep when he knew Haru was right there above him. 

“Still asleep, and still red.” Haru muttered.

Rin felt something cool and soothing on his forehead. A washcloth? No... This was smoother. And nicer.

“He's burning!”

Haru sounded alarmed. Rin would have thought he was panicked, if not for the fact that this was Haru he was talking about. Haru did not panic.

Haru got up, to Rin's disappointment, and walked somewhere. Rin strained to hear Haru's footsteps, which were going to the... Bathroom? He heard a faucet running, and then he heard Haru come back.

Something cold and damp (a wet washcloth, most likely) pressed against his forehead, and even if Rin didn't like it as much as Haru's hand, it was still a very pleasant feeling. 

Rin figured this was as good a time as any to fake waking up, and with a dramatic yawn (that Rin quickly regretted because it made his stomach hurt like crazy), he opened his eyes and saw-

Haru was shirtless.

And his eyes (so blue!) were big and worried.

Rin was going to say something. He was sure. But now, all he could do was stare.

Yeah, he'd seen Haru shirtless before. He'd seen him in less clothing than he was in now, with long pants and a belt and stuff. But now... Alone in his dorm, not wearing his swimsuit (or maybe he was under those pants, you never knew with Haru), with all of his energy focused on Rin, with his eyes open, and filled with an emotion Rin couldn't identify now...

It was different.

Rin had had some less than pure thoughts featuring Haru in situations similar to this, ones where the only major difference was that he wasn't sick as a dog, and Haru became significantly less clothed after a while...

No, can't think that now. Bad time. REALLY bad time.

“Rin! You're awake.”

Haru's face relaxed a little, flooding with relief. 

“Your shirt...” Rin mumbled. He stretched his hand out to Haru, not sure quite why he needed to touch him so badly now, but feeling the desire nonetheless. Haru caught his hand and held it while a slight tinge of pink ran along his cheeks. “Where is it?”

Haru looked uncomfortable for a minute, and then, abashedly averted eye contact with Rin while he replied.

“Your forehead.”

What.

This was not the answer Rin was expecting. Rin fumbled for the washcloth, no, Haru's shirt, on his forehead and discovered that it had been folded and doused with cold water into a shape that could fit comfortably on his head.

“Done?” Haru said, somewhat impatiently, as he grabbed the shirt from Rin's hand and put it on his forehead. Rin was briefly aware of Haru's chest leaning over very close to him. Very close. Close enough to feel body heat through covers.

Haru frowned as he looked down at him. “You look red again.”

Rin gave something that was in between a cough and and mangled exclamation of something as Haru got up and went to what he now saw was his desk. Haru rummaged around in a big duffel bag (did he really bring that with him?) and Rin saw a Ziplock bag filled with something whitish. He also pulled out a bottle of something something golden and a bowl with a spoon.

What the hell is he doing?

Haru poured the white stuff in the bowl, as well as some of the golden stuff and mixed it. He brought it over to the bed and scooped some of it in a spoon.

“Say 'ah.'”

“W-What?!” Rin spluttered. “I'm not five!”

Haru frowned a little. “But that's what you're supposed to say.”

“Where'd you get that idea?!”

“You.”

Rin flushed (how many times had it been again?) and made incoherent noises. He even thought he even spotted Haru smirking at him.

“Stop laughing at me!”

“I wasn't laughing.”

“Y-Yes you were!”

Haru turned away from Rin, in a attempt to cover his smile from Rin.

“Fine. I'll treat you normally.” Haru thrust the spoon at Rin. “Eat.”

Rin eyed the spoon suspiciously. He didn't think Haru would try to do something funny with his food, like add mackerel or something, but he wanted to be sure.

“What is it?”

“Ground daikon radish and honey with some of that protein powder crap your sister keeps insisting I eat.” Haru answered smoothly, with only the slightest hint of amusement at the end.

“That's Gou alright.”

They both paused for a moment, Rin looking down at the spoon before saying, “I don't need to be fed.”

“Too bad. I like feeding you.”

Rin felt a fourth (fifth? Sixth?) flush crawl onto his cheeks. “I guess it can't be helped, you stubborn bastard.” Rin mumbled to Haru, right before eating off the spoon.

It was good.

The radish was cool, and the honey gave it a sweetness that lingered in his mouth after he swallowed.  
“Do... You have more?”

Haru smirked (and damn that unfairly attractive bastard, Rin couldn't help but like the way he looked when he did so), and scooped another helping out of the bowl. “Say ah this time?”

“No way.”

\-----

Rin ate the whole bowl of radish.

“Do you need water?”

Rin nodded, wondering how Haru had known. Haru got a glass out of his duffel bag (that magic duffel bag, which had everything Rin needed), and went to the bathroom to fill it up. As Rin drank, Haru walked to his bag again and got out a thermometer.

“We should take your temperature.”

Rin nodded silently. His temperature this morning had been 103.3, but right now, he felt significantly better. 

Rin held it in his mouth while Haru sat on Rin's bed and read one of his books on swimming. Rin checked out, no, studied Haru's body while he waited for his temperature reading. He had nice arms. And a nice chest. And abs. And eyes, and face, and everything really. Rin remembered when they were both kids, and Rin realized he thought Haru was pretty. He still was, but he had also gotten hot. Turned into a fucking stud, Rin realized.

His thermometer beeped, bringing him back to reality.

“What is it?” Haru said, eyes burning holes in Rin.

“Oh, um,” he looked down at the reading. “99. 3... Wow. It was 103 this morning.”

A wave of shock passed on Haru's face, followed by what Rin thought looked like happiness. “Good.” was all he said.

They stayed like that for a while, but Haru finally broke contact and got up. “I should get back home.”

Rin glanced at the clock. It was almost 6.

“Oh, yeah, geez. Time passes fast, I guess.”

Haru packed his bag up in silence, and Rin felt guilty for wanting Haru to stay.

“Hey, thanks for today. It... You really helped.”

Haru turned around, surprised. A moment passed, and then he glanced away.

“It's nothing.”

He zipped up the bag, and turned to face Rin. “Drink lots of water and sleep.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Rin nodded.

Haru walked over to the lower bunk, his eyes slightly wider than normal. He looked like he wanted to do something, and Rin wished he knew what it was.

“I shouldn't.” Haru mumbled under his breath, so quietly Rin barely even thought he heard it.

And Haru left, leaving Rin wondering what it was.

**Author's Note:**

> FIRST FANFIC ON THIS SITE AND FIRST FREE FANFIC WOOT WOOT  
> I needed some fluff after episode 9, and this is what came out. Pretty generic sickfic, but now I'm happier. Might add another chappie later, depends on my mood. It's like 2 in the morning, I started at 12 and I couldn't stop until I finished. Shows you how slow I am at writing.  
> Also, ignore logic, OK? Please.  
> Un-edited, un-beta'd, everything.
> 
> http://paperairplaneclub.tumblr.com/post/95980885208/nothing-is-good-about-being-sick-except-for-maybe-one
> 
> Here on tumblr ^


End file.
